Tool holding and testing device

ABSTRACT

A tool holding and testing device includes a plate, a tool having a rotatable barrel, and a device for rotatably securing the barrel of the tool to the plate, and for allowing the barrel to be tested and rotated relative to the plate without disengaging the tool from the plate. The barrel includes a non-circular opening for receiving a non-circular retaining member which includes one or more stops engaged with the barrel for rotatably securing the barrel of the tool to the plate and which includes a knob for rotating the retaining member relative to the plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for holding a tool, such as a ratchet tool, and for allowing the ratchet mechanism of the ratchet tool to be test by the user.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Various kinds of typical devices may be used for holding the tools in a plate with a catch device. The lock device includes one end pivotally secured to the plate with a live hinge, and includes the other end secured to the plate body with a lock pin of a security device, for retaining and securing the tools in the plate. However, the live hinge is weak and may be easily broken, such that the tools may be disengaged from the displaying plate.

[0005] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tool holding and testing devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tool holding and testing device for solidly retaining and securing the tool in a plate, and for preventing the tool from being disengaged from the plate of the tool holding and testing device.

[0007] The other objective of the present invention is to provide a tool holding and testing device for holding a tool, such as a ratchet tool, and for allowing the ratchet mechanism or the rotatable member or element of the ratchet tool to be test by the user.

[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tool holding and testing device comprising a plate, a tool including a rotatable barrel provided therein, and means for rotatably securing the barrel of the tool to the plate, and for allowing the barrel to be tested and rotated relative to the plate without disengaging the tool from the plate.

[0009] The barrel includes an opening formed therein, the rotatably securing means includes a retaining member engaged in the opening of the barrel for securing to the barrel and for rotating the barrel relative to the plate.

[0010] The opening of the barrel and the retaining member each includes a non-circular cross section. The retaining member includes a rod extended therefrom and rotatably secured to the plate.

[0011] The rod includes a free end having a hook provided thereon for engaging with the plate and for securing the retaining member to the plate.

[0012] The retaining member includes at least one stop extended therefrom and engaged with the barrel for rotatably securing the barrel of the tool to the plate.

[0013] The retaining member includes a knob extended forward therefrom for rotating the retaining member relative to the plate.

[0014] The retaining member includes at least one chamber formed therein and defined by a partition for weight reducing purposes. The plate includes a recess formed therein for receiving the tool.

[0015] A device may further be provided for mounting the tool to the plate. The plate includes a pair of casings attached thereto and each having a channel formed therein, a frame including two panels engageable into the channels of the casings respectively, and the frame is engaged with the tool for retaining and securing the tool to the plate.

[0016] A device may further be provided for locking the frame to the plate and includes at least one catch member provided in the plate and engageable with the frame for securing and locking the frame to the plate.

[0017] The plate includes at least one orifice formed therein, the catch member is extended in the orifice of the plate.

[0018] The frame includes at least one cavity formed therein, the catch member is engaged into the cavity of the frame for securing the frame to the plate. The cavity of the frame is formed in one of the panels of the frame.

[0019] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a tool holding and testing device in accordance with the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tool holding and testing device;

[0022]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

[0023]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a retaining member;

[0024]FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

[0025]FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the other embodiment of the tool holding and testing device;

[0026]FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6;

[0027]FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the tool holding and testing device;

[0028]FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the tool holding and testing device as shown in FIG. 8;

[0029]FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 10-10 of FIG. 9; and

[0030]FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a still further embodiment of the tool holding and testing device;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0031] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-5, a tool holding and testing device in accordance with the present invention comprises a body 10, such as a board or a plate 10, including a recess 11 formed in the lower portion thereof, and formed or defined by a peripheral side wall 12 and a rear wall 13, for receiving a tool 70, such as an upper portion of a tool 70, particularly a ratchet tool 70. The rear wall 13 may not or may include an inclined surface 14 formed in the upper portion, according to the inclination of the head 71 that is provided in one end of the tool 70, for allowing the rear portion of the tool 70 to be snugly engaged onto the rear wall 13 and/or the inclined surface 14 of the rear wall 13, best shown in FIG. 3. The rear wall 13 includes an aperture 15 formed in the upper portion thereof. The plate 10 includes an opening 19 formed in the upper portion for hanging purposes, and includes a lower portion having one or more orifices 16 formed therein, and having one or more hooks or catches 17 extended inward of the orifices 16 of the plate 10 respectively.

[0032] The plate 10 includes a pair of casings 20 attached to the front and lower portion thereof and separated from each other. The casings 20 each includes a bottom wall 21 and an outer wall 22 for defining a channel 23 therein. A frame 30 includes a pair of side panels 31 engageable into the channels 23 of the casings 20 from the upper portion of the casings 20, and includes one or more cavities 32 formed therein, such as formed in the panels 31 for receiving the catches 17 and for securing the tool 70 to the plate 10 with the frame 30. The frame 30 preferably includes an ear 33 extended therefrom, such as extended inward of the recess 11 of the plate 10 for engaging with and for stably retaining the tool 70 to the plate 10.

[0033] The tool 70, particularly the typical ratchet tool 70, includes a typical ratchet barrel 72 rotatably received in the head 71, and includes a typical ratchet mechanism provided in the head 71 for controlling the operation direction of the typical ratchet barrel 72. The ratchet barrel 72 includes an opening 73 formed therein, and includes a number of teeth 74 extended inward of the opening 73 of the ratchet barrel 72 for engaging with and for driving the fasteners or the tool extensions or the like. The teeth 74 and the opening 73 of the ratchet barrel 72 are designed for receiving the fasteners or the tool members that has a square or a hexagonal or the other shaped non-circular cross sections.

[0034] As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a retaining member 40 includes a non-circular cross section corresponding to that of the opening 73 of the ratchet barrel 72 for engaging into the opening 73 of the ratchet barrel 72 and for allowing the retaining member 40 to be rotated in concert with the ratchet barrel 72. The retaining member 40 includes a rod 41 extended rearward therefrom for engaging through the aperture 15 of the plate 10, and includes a peripheral flange or a hook 42 provided on the free end of the rod 41 for engaging with the plate 10 and for rotatably securing the retaining member 40 to the plate 10. The rod 41 preferably includes one or more slits 43 formed therein for increasing the resilience of the hook 42 and for allowing the hook 42 to be easily engaged through the aperture 15 of the plate 10 and to engage with the plate 10.

[0035] The retaining member 40 includes one or more stops 44 extended radially outward from the front portion thereof, for engaging with the tool 70, such as for engaging with the barrel 72 (FIG. 3), and for rotatably securing the tool, particularly the barrel 72 of the tool 70 to the plate 10. The retaining member 40 further includes a knob 46 extended forward therefrom, for allowing the retaining member 40 to be easily rotated relative to the plate 10 with the knob 46. The retaining member 40 preferably includes one or more chambers 47 formed therein for weight reducing purposes, and/or for being released from the mold device. For example, the retaining member 40 includes a partition 48 provided therein for forming or defining two chambers 47 therein, and for forming two corners 49 in the ends of the partition 48.

[0036] In operation, as shown in FIG. 3, the retaining member 40 may be engaged into the opening 73 of the barrel 72 and may be rotatably secured to the plate 10, such that the barrel 72 may be rotatably secured to the plate 10 with the retaining member 40. The stop 44 of the retaining member 40 may stably and rotatably securing and retaining the barrel 72 of the tool 70 to the plate 10. The frame 30 may further be used to lock the tool 70 to the plate 10. When the tool 70 is shown and displayed with the plate 10, the user may rotate the barrel 72 with the retaining member 40, in order to test the operation of the barrel 72, without disengaging the tool 70 from the plate 10.

[0037] Referring next to FIGS. 6 and 7, without the recess 11 or without the formation or the provision of the recess 11 in the plate 10, the tool 70 may also be directly secured onto the plate 10 with the frame 30 and/or the retaining member 40. The inclined surface 14 may be inclined forward from the plate 10 directly, best shown in FIG. 7.

[0038] Referring next to FIGS. 8-11, when the head 71 of the tool 70 is not bent relative to the handle of the tool 70, the plate 10 may includes a planer structure having no inclined surface 14 formed therein. As shown in FIGS. 8-10, without the frame 30, the tool 70 may also be rotatably secured to the plate 10 with the retaining member 40. As shown in FIG. 11, the frame 30 may, selectively, further be provided for securing the tool 70 to the plate 10.

[0039] Accordingly, the tool holding and testing device in accordance with the present invention may be used for solidly retaining and securing the tool in a plate, and for preventing the tool from being disengaged from the plate of the tool holding and testing device, and for allowing the ratchet mechanism or the rotatable member or element of the ratchet tool to be test by the user.

[0040] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A tool holding and testing device comprising: a plate, a tool including a rotatable barrel provided therein, and means for rotatably securing said barrel of said tool to said plate.
 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said barrel includes an opening formed therein, said rotatably securing means includes a retaining member engaged in said opening of said barrel for securing to said barrel and for rotating said barrel relative to said plate.
 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said opening of said barrel and said retaining member each includes a non-circular cross section.
 4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said retaining member includes a rod extended therefrom and rotatably secured to said plate.
 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said rod includes a free end having a hook provided thereon for engaging with said plate and for securing said retaining member to said plate.
 6. The device according to claim 2, wherein said retaining member includes at least one stop extended therefrom and engaged with said barrel for rotatably securing said barrel of said tool to said plate.
 7. The device according to claim 2, wherein said retaining member includes a knob extended forward therefrom for rotating said retaining member relative to said plate.
 8. The device according to claim 2, wherein said retaining member includes at least one chamber formed therein and defined by a partition for weight reducing purposes.
 9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said plate includes a recess formed therein for receiving said tool.
 10. The device according to claim 1 further comprising means for mounting said tool to said plate.
 11. The device according to claim 1, wherein said plate includes a pair of casings attached thereto and each having a channel formed therein, a frame including two panels engageable into said channels of said casings respectively, and said frame is engaged with said tool for retaining and securing said tool to said plate.
 12. The device according to claim 11 further comprising means for locking said frame to said plate.
 13. The device according to claim 12, wherein said locking means includes at least one catch member provided in said plate and engageable with said frame for securing and locking said frame to said plate.
 14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said plate includes at least one orifice formed therein, said at least one catch member is extended in said at least one orifice of said plate.
 15. The device according to claim 13, wherein said frame includes at least one cavity formed therein, said at least one catch member is engaged into said at least one cavity of said frame for securing said frame to said plate.
 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said at least one cavity of said frame is formed in one of said panels of said frame. 